Bolt locking system

ABSTRACT

A Gatling type gun includes a plurality of bolts and respective cross-slides, each of which is cam controlled and entirely encircles the bolt in the lock position.

0 Wanted States Patent [151 3,690,215

Clark et al. 1 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] BOLT LOCKING SYSTEM 2,688,203 9/1954 Gaidos ..89/ 187 X [72] Inventors: Burton P. Clark, Colchester; James g ig et D. s I n, Burlington, both ofvt [73] Assignee: General Electric Company Primary ExaminerSamuel W. Engle Attomey-Bailin L. Kuch, Iving M. Freedman, Harry [22] Flled' Sept 8 1970 C. Burgess, Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell 211 Appl. No.: 75,980 and Joseph Forman ABSTRACT (gl. ..89/l2, 89/ A Gatling type gun includes a plurality of bolts and I. u cross slides, each of is cam con- [58] of Search "89,9, 173 trolled and entirely encircles the bolt in the lock position. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 678,937 7/1901 Browning ..89/17 3 X PATENTEDSEP 12 I972 '63 & m:

INVENTORS BURTON P. CLARK, JAMES 0. SCANLON,

BY THElR ATTORNEY.

1 BOLT LOCKING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention I This invention relates to automatic and semiautomatic guns having a reciprocating bolt, and is especially adapted to multibarreled guns of the Gatling gun type.

2. Description of the Prior Art The literature of machine guns is quite extensive. An excellent survey of locking systems is found in The Machine Gun, Volume IV, by George M. Chinn, Bu-

reau of Ordnance, Department of the Navy, published by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. G. P. O. 195 1. An exemplary disclosure of the modern conventional Gatling gun is found in U. S. Pat. No. 2,849,921 issued to H. McC. Otto on Sept. 2, 1958 in which the bolt is rotated within the receiver to interengage locking lugs in the receiver. In U. S. Pat. No. 3,380,343 issued to R.E. Chiabrandy on Apr. 30, 1968 the bolt is carried by the'receiver to engage a locking lug in the housing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of a bolt and locking system embodying this invention, showing the bolt unlocked;

FIG. 2 is a view in transverse cross-section of the system of FIG. 1 taken along the plane lI-Il;

FIG. 3 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of the system of FIG. 1 showing the bolt locked; and

FIG. 4 is a view in transverse cross-section of the system of FIG. 3 taken along the plane IV-IV.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The embodiment of this invention herein shown and described is as incorporated in an otherwise conventional Gatling type gun, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,343, supra, wherein the main cam is in a stationary housing, and the bolts are carried in a rotating receiver. A similar embodiment of this invention is also shown and described in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 76,077 filed concurrently herewith, wherein the main cam is in a rotating housing, and the bolts are carried in a stationary receiver, to which reference should be made for a more complete disclosure of the gun.

A bolt assembly including a bolt body 12, a bolt face 14, extractor lugs 16, and a cam follower 18 is disposed for reciprocation in a groove 20 in a receiver 22. The groove is aligned with a chamber 24 which is here shown as part of the receiver but which might conventionally be formed as part to the barrel, not shown, which is fixed into the receiver. The receiver is disposed in a housing 26 having a quasielliptical cylindrical cam slot 28 and an annular cam slot 30. There is relative rotation between the receiver-and the housing.

Two longitudinal tracks 32 are fixed, as by machine screws, not shown, to the receiver and overlie the groove 20 and extend into two respective longitudinal slots 34 in the bolt body to provide longitudinal guidance for the bolt. The bolt cam follower l8 rides in the housing cam slot 28 and serves to reciprocate the bolt from an aft loading and ejection position to a forward locking and firing position.

A substantially annular slot 36 is formed into the periphery of the bolt body. A substantially U-shaped lock segment 38 rides in the bolt annular slot. The slot may have two opposed flat surfaces 40, 42, an inner arcuate surface 44, and an outer arcuate surface 46. The lock segment has two opposed flat surfaces 47, 48 and an arcuate surface 50, and two opposed cut-outs 52, 54 to accomodate the tracks 32.

A cross-slide 56 is 'disposed in a transverse slot 57 in the receiver and has a hole 58 configured to mate with and receive the lock segment 38 and the bolt body, and a cam follower 60 which rides in the housing cam slot 30. When the cross-slide 56 is in its centripetal position, as shown in FIG. 1, the lock segment is within the cross-section of the bolt body, and the bolt body is free to slide through the hole 58. When the cross-slide 56 is in its centrifugal position, caused by a rise in the cam slot 30, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock segment 38 has been partially raised out of the bolt annular slot 36 to enter into the receiver transverse slot 57, while the cross slide 56 has entered the bolt annular slot 36. It

will be noted that the tracks 32 are interrupted in the plane of the cross-slide to permit reciprocation of the slide. The bolt body is now locked to the receiver by the combined lock segment and cross slide, around the full periphery of the bolt.

In operation, the round is handed to the bolt when the bolt is in its maximum aft position with the extractor lugs engaging the extractor rim of the case of the round. The cam slot 28 brings the bolt forward along the guide tracks together with the locking segment, through the intermediate position shown in FIG. 1, until the bolt is fully forward with the round fully chambered, in the position shown in FIG. 3, with the locking segment aligned with the cross-slide. The rise in the cam slot 30 shifts the cross-slide centrifugally together with the locking segment, to lock the bolt in the receiver. The round R may be fed by a suitable mechanism not shown here, but shown in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 76,077 supra. The fall in the cam slot 30 shifts the cross-slide centripetally, together with the locking segment, to unlock the bolt. The cam slot 28 brings the bolt aft, extracting the fired case, along the guide tracks, together with the locking segment, until the bolt is fully aft to eject the fired case.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated that other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, and,

therefore, the invention is not to be limited by the discams for operating said cams in synchronism. closed embodiments, except as required by the hereto 5. Agun comprising:

appended claims. a receiver having a plurality of chambers fixed What is claimed is: thereto in an annular row, and a like plurality of l. A bolt assembly for a firearm comprising: 5 lateral grooves and longitudinal grooves, a respeca receiver having a lateral groove and alongitudinal tive lateral groove and a longitudinal groove groove therein; aligned with each chamber;

a bolt, disposed in said receiver longitudinal groove 3 like plurality of bolts, each disposed a l'espectlve and reciprocable between a load and a chamber longitudinal groove and reciprocable between a position ther i d h i a peripheral groove load and a chamber position therein, and having a th i peripheral groove therein;

a cross-slide, disposed in said receiver lateral groove a like Pllfrallty of cross-Slides, each disposed in a and movable between an unlock and a lock posirespecuve lateral f'? and f tion therein and having an aperture therein unlock and a lock position therein, and havmgan defined by an interior wall adapted to clear said aperture h adapted P? clear respecmfe bolt when is said lock position and to engage said bolt m lock to engage. a bolt peripheral groove when in said lock position; bolt penpheral groove when m Sald lock posmon; and and a U-shaped lock segment disposed in said bolt a i plurfahty of uishaped Segments each peripheral groove; disposed in a respective bolt peripheralgrooves; whereby, when said bolt is in its chamber position whirl a respec-twe bolt Ta h and said cross-slide is in its lock position engaged position an Sal rlspec-nve cross-s} 6 IS m 06 in said bolt peripheral groove, said lock segment is pqsmon m Sald bolt pe pheral groove, shifted by said cross-slide partially out of said bolt iihi ffiigg gllfi m fit gf s aiii figft g r ighg-g peripheral groove and partially into said receiver groove and partially into said receiver respective lateral groove, the combination of said cross-slide lateral groove, the combination of said cross-slide and said lock segment thereby providing 360 of and said lock segment thereby providing 360 of lock around said bolt. lock around said bolt.

2. A bolt assembly according to claim 1 further in- 6. A gun according to claim 5 further including:

eluding: a first rotary cam coupled to said plurality of crossa first rotary cam coupled to said cross-slide and slides and adapted to move each of said crossadapted to move said cross-slide to and between its Slides in equen e to d be een its loc and unlock and unlock positions. lock positions.

3. A bolt assembly according to claim 2 further ing according to Claim 6 further lncludlngl l di a second cam coupled to said plurality of bolts and a second cam coupled to said bolt and adapted to P move each bolts to and between move said bolt to and between its load and lts load and chamber P05150115- b positions 8. A gun according to claim 7 further including:

4. A bolt assembly according to claim 3 further in- Cam control mealls couPled to Sald first l second eluding; cams for operating said cams 1n synchronism.

cam control means coupled to said first and second 

1. A bolt assembly for a firearm comprising: a receiver having a lateral groove and a longitudinal groove therein; a bolt, disposed in said receiver longitudinal groove and reciprocable between a load and a chamber position therein, and having a peripheral groove therein; a cross-slide, disposed in said receiver lateral groove and movable between an unlock and a lock position therein, and having an aperture therein defined by an interior wall adapted to clear saId bolt when is said lock position and to engage said bolt peripheral groove when in said lock position; and a U-shaped lock segment disposed in said bolt peripheral groove; whereby, when said bolt is in its chamber position and said cross-slide is in its lock position engaged in said bolt peripheral groove, said lock segment is shifted by said crossslide partially out of said bolt peripheral groove and partially into said receiver lateral groove, the combination of said cross-slide and said lock segment thereby providing 360* of lock around said bolt.
 2. A bolt assembly according to claim 1 further including: a first rotary cam coupled to said cross-slide and adapted to move said cross-slide to and between its lock and unlock positions.
 3. A bolt assembly according to claim 2 further including: a second cam coupled to said bolt and adapted to move said bolt to and between its load and chamber positions.
 4. A bolt assembly according to claim 3 further including: cam control means coupled to said first and second cams for operating said cams in synchronism.
 5. A gun comprising: a receiver having a plurality of chambers fixed thereto in an annular row, and a like plurality of lateral grooves and longitudinal grooves, a respective lateral groove and a longitudinal groove aligned with each chamber; a like plurality of bolts, each disposed in a respective longitudinal groove and reciprocable between a load and a chamber position therein, and having a peripheral groove therein; a like plurality of cross-slides, each disposed in a respective lateral groove and movable between an unlock and a lock position therein, and having an aperture therein adapted to clear said respective bolt when in said lock position and to engage said bolt peripheral groove when in said lock position; and a like plurality of U-shaped lock segments, each disposed in a respective bolt peripheral grooves; whereby, when said respective bolt is in its chamber position and said respective cross-slide is in its lock position engaged in said bolt peripheral groove, said respective lock segment is shifted by said cross-slide partially out of said bolt peripheral groove and partially into said receiver respective lateral groove, the combination of said cross-slide and said lock segment thereby providing 360* of lock around said bolt.
 6. A gun according to claim 5 further including: a first rotary cam coupled to said plurality of cross-slides and adapted to move each of said cross-slides in sequence to and between its lock and unlock positions.
 7. A gun according to claim 6 further including: a second cam coupled to said plurality of bolts and adapted to move each of said bolts to and between its load and chamber positions.
 8. A gun according to claim 7 further including: cam control means coupled to said first and second cams for operating said cams in synchronism. 